Following a sustained period of dominance in which the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles made the finals every year for a decade since 2006, the silvertails have endured a prolonged lull only making the finals once in the past four seasons.
While on the whole, the past four seasons have been painful for the Brookvale faithful, seeing many favourite sons walk out the door, this changing of the guard was typified in 2015 in which they lost club legends Anthony Watmough, Glenn Stewart, Kieran Foran, and eventually coach Geoff Toovey.
While the release of such players has allowed the Sea Eagles to rebuild their squad to be much more competitive, this change in trajectory, as well as the consistent squad that came prior, has resulted in more than a few future stars walking out the door.
Here are the top 10 players the Sea Eagles have let go, not re-signed or released since 2010.
The players have been listed in accordance with the contribution they made whilst at the Sea Eagles as well as considering the influence they have had at the clubs they have left for.
6. Kieran Foran
While Kieran Foran has had a lean last few years since departing Manly, we must not forget the player he was, and can hopefully return to be.
Having played his junior footy in North Sydney after moving to Australia from New Zealand, Foran was signed to the Sea Eagles NYC squad for season 2008 before being promoted to the NRL squad ahead of the 2009 season.
Over the next seven seasons, Foran would rack up 147 appearances for the Sea Eagles, winning a premiership, as well as captaining the Kiwis to the 2014 Four Nations title. During this stint, Foran would cement himself as one of the gameโs premier halves through his direct running style and ability to lead his team around the park.
The younger Foran brother was held in extremely high regard by his rivals, developing a reputation as one of the toughest playmakers in the game, who was more than prepared to put his body on the line. This unselfish style of play, as well as his undoubted leadership qualities, caught the eye of the Parramatta Eels and Foranโs old mentor Brad Arthur, now the Eels head coach.
He would eventually go onto sign a mammoth four-year, $4.8 million deal with the Eels to play under Brad Arthur, with the Eels hierarchy harboring hopes that Foran could be the halfback that they had been looking for since the departure of club legend Peter Sterling.
The rest, as they say, is history. Since leaving the peninsula Foran has played for three different clubs in four years, displaying flashes of brilliance that were previously constant but largely being hampered by fitness and off-field issues.
While the Sea Eagles may not be ruining Foranโs departure, his abilities and performances whilst on the Northern Beaches should not be forgotten. This is still the same man who if he hadnโt been ruled ineligible due to suspension for the 2011 Dally M Award would have won it in a canter, the same man who led Manly to a premiership and a Grand Final appearance, the same man who in 2013 became the second recipient ever of the Steve Watene Medal. Hereโs to hoping we can see Foran reach those heights once more.
At best manlys only let go of average or aging players apart from Gutho perhaps
For mine it was Glenn Stewart…his departure started a sequence of events that drove a stake through the heart of Manly. It’s hard to overlook the significance of this impact on the club.
That only brought forward the inevitable of an aging roster